Offshore Wind Wire

By Todd Griset
This week Gov. Martin O’Malley unveiled his revised plan for offshore wind development off Maryland.
Previous efforts to promote economic development through offshore wind have failed to gain legislative approval.  Gov. O’Malley is back with the Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2012 (Senate Bill 237) a retooled proposal that he touts as both [...]

Duke Energy is planning a $670,000 study on the transmission capacity required to develop offshore wind near North Carolina, the Charlotte Business Journal reported Friday.
The project would be supported by up to $530,000 in Energy Department funding, according to the report.
Maryland Labor Groups Want Guarantees
Maryland labor groups are asking for guaranteed involvement in offshore wind development in exchange for [...]

By Peter Brennan
So, have you finished reading through your backlog of Top Ten (and Top 11) lists of 2011?
We understand. Looking back on the past year is usually fun (and easy to write). We’ve fallen prey to that temptation ourselves. But in many ways, 2011 was a tough year for the emerging offshore wind industry. [...]

Grid manager ISO New England released a report casting doubt on Cape Wind’s claims that it will be producing power by 2015, the Associated Press reported yesterday.
The January 3 report said that “the ISO and its consultants … have determined that it is unlikely that the project will achieve Commercial Operation” by June 1, [...]

By Todd Griset
As the US Coast Guard updates its management of coastwise navigation in Atlantic waters, the service is considering the impacts of offshore wind projects and other ocean energy development.
Through the end of January, the Coast Guard is accepting public comment on how renewable ocean energy facilities might affect users of near-coastal waters.  The [...]

An offshore wind research buoy recently removed from Lake Michigan performed exceptionally well and yielded a treasure trove of information for researchers to sift through, according to Grand Valley State University officials.
The research buoy utilized a laser wind sensor to capture wind speed and direction at varying heights, while other components of the buoy collected [...]